The present application relates to solid-state rechargeable battery technology. More particularly, the present application relates to a Li-based solid-state thin film electrolyte that can be used as a component of a solid-state rechargeable three dimensional (3D) microbattery.
In recent years, there has been an increased demand for portable electronic devices such as, for example, computers, mobile phones, tracking systems, scanners, medical devices, smart watches, and fitness devices. One drawback with portable electronic devices is the need to include a power supply within the device itself. Typically, a battery is used as the power supply of such portable electronic devices. Batteries must have sufficient capacity to power the portable electronic device for at least the length that the device is being used. Sufficient battery capacity can result in a power supply that is quite heavy and/or large compared to the rest of the portable electronic device. As such, smaller sized and lighter weight power supplies with sufficient energy storage are desired. Such power supplies can be implemented in smaller and lighter weight portable electronic devices.
Another drawback of conventional batteries is that some of the batteries contain flammable and potentially toxic materials that may leak and may be subject to governmental regulations. As such, it is desired to provide an electrical power supply that is safe, solid-state and rechargeable over many charge/discharge life cycles; a rechargeable battery is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, while a non-rechargeable (or so-called primary battery) is supplied fully charged, and discarded once discharged.
One type of an energy-storage device that is small and light weight, contains non-toxic materials and that can be recharged over many charge/discharge cycles is a solid-state, lithium-based battery. Lithium-based batteries are rechargeable batteries that include two electrodes implementing lithium. In conventional lithium-based rechargeable batteries, bulk or thin-film lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) is typically used as the solid-state electrolyte. One problem associated with prior art thin-film lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) is that such a material exhibits a low ionic conductivity. For example, the ionic conductivity of a thin-film composed of LiPON is typically from 10−5 to 10−6 S/cm, wherein S is Siemens. There is a need for providing a solid-state rechargeable battery that has contains a Li-based solid-state thin-film electrolyte that has a higher ionic conductivity than prior art LiPON.